Colesterol

[KelliEAnniE]

I am totally confused about colesteral levels have an appointment with gp to check my colesterol iwas prescribed statins a few years ago although my colesterol was 5 . 4 I refused said I would rather do it myself so I take 2 plant sterols a day and eat healthily my clesterol got down yo 3 .5 asked the nurse if that was too low she replied the lower the better however I'm worried about dementia risk if it's too low when they say statins help with dementia risk is that because of the statins or as a result of having a lower colesterol hence me wanting to discuss with my GP lor

[mjames1]

healthunlocked.com/afassoci....

[Buffafly]

Congratulations!

[KelliEAnniE in reply to Buffafly]

thanks

[mav7]

to discuss with my GP

This is the answer.

Discuss with your GP if statins are appropriate and their benefits and side effects.

[secondtry]

The question as to the level of your cholesterol should only arise if you have a reason eg scan results or a comorbidity. In you shoes at those levels I wouldn't be concerned at all.

[grambo62]

Well done. I was in the same predicament and refused because I was just over the limit. Dr said it was due to my risk factor I adjusted my diet and got below the limit. Only just had my last results so yet to hear what they have to say.

[KelliEAnniE in reply to grambo62]

yes waiting to hear what my GP says

[Vonnegut]

I agreed to take a low dose of statins, 10mg daily, as it seems my higher cholesterol level is a familial thing as I have never been overweight and have a healthy diet.

[ainslie]

no disrespect to the nurse but saying it can’t be too low is a bit gung ho, I would discuss it with your cardiologist or GP, eg low HDL is bad , it’s the ratio that’s important, and you need cholesterol for other body functions eg making hormones

[KelliEAnniE in reply to ainslie]

yes i think so too surely can be too low

[Tomred]

I also take plant sterols 1200mg twice per day, to have lowering effect, it seems statins are good for everything these days, personally i think too low levels may present their own problems its hard to decipher everything, isnt it.

[KelliEAnniE in reply to Tomred]

Yes it is complicated

[Ppiman]

There is plenty of evidence that a zero cholesterol is likely to lead to a healthier old age. That is because the body has stores of all the cholesterol it needs and any in the blood is - possibly - too much. Statins have three useful effects: they reduce free triglycerides and LDL (the bad) cholesterol in the blood; they increase HDL cholesterol (the good one); and they reduce the inflammation in the body that these cause ( a Very Good Thing Indeed).

Links with dementia and statins are to my knowledge wholly unproven and extremely unlikely; also, recently, it seems that having the flu, pneumonia or shingles vaccines reduces dementia risk significantly!

Steve

[KelliEAnniE in reply to Ppiman]

thanks for your reply had a word with my GP and asked her if my colesterol is too low at 3.4 ido not take statins but got it low through taking 2 plant sterols a day plus healthy diet I said I had read somewhere that having it too low could cause dementia she said its when the levels are too high that can contribute to dementia so that's put my mind at rest along with uour reply

[Ppiman in reply to KelliEAnniE]

I can’t imagine getting it much lower but there’s evidence that however low, it’s better than high.

Steve

[Linley]

Well done you! I did the same thing GP said he wanted to put me on statins I said no, so I changed diet and added plant sterols and 3 months later bingo a retest showed I did it. Tbh statins are a minefield and I have heard GPs do push them. But on saying that I do realise for some people they are a medicial necessity.

[KelliEAnniE in reply to Linley]

yes I agree plant strerols and healthy diet worked for me to be honest my GP listened to me and agreed to do acolesterol check after six weeks doing it my way and it worked just fine so gp was OK about it